Objectives
To provide educational opportunities that will enable physiotherapists to develop the knowledge, research understanding, clinical, analytical and reasoning skills required for physiotherapy management within sports and performance medicine.
Graduates can expect to move into specialist physiotherapy roles managing sports and performance injuries encompassing treatment and prevention. Graduates will develop the competencies, circumspection and team working to work at all levels of sports and performance; eg premiership football, rugby union, national cricket, hockey and basketball, paralympic swimming, national junior judo, ballet, skiing plus county, university and club level sport eg rowing and tennis.
Course description
Programme description
- Internationally and nationally respected research active teaching staff
- Graduation from the programme (NMSK with MACP approval) leads to registration as a member of the Manipulation Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
- Excellent graduate employment rates
The programme consists of taught modules on the following topics: biomechanics and musculo-skeletal tissues in health and disease; muscle and exercise physiology in sport; pain and control of movement in sport; management of sports and performance injuries; sports physiotherapy skills; clinical education in sports physiotherapy. Students will also undertake a research project.
Programme format and assessment
Teaching and learning opportunities are provided through a combination of formal taught sessions, seminars and tutorials, prosections, practical skills sessions, clinical placements and self-directed learning. These are assessed through essays, written examinations, practical examinations and research project.
Programme modules
Advanced Physiotherapy Skills
On completion of this module the post graduate Physiotherapists will be able to: 1. debate and critically evaluate both established and contemporary concepts of physiotherapy practice in the context of the supporting evidence. 2. analyse reflectively critical incidents from clinical practice in order to develop their ability to plan optimum management strategies. 3. demonstrate advanced skills of clinical reasoning of a specialist practitioner needed to work in extended roles within health care delivery. 4. demonstrate advanced skills in examination and assessment of neuromusculoskeletal problems incorporating a patient centred biopsychosocial approach. 5. discuss the principles of selection of treatment modalities based on advanced understanding of anatomy, physiology, pain, pathology and behavioural sciences. 6. demonstrate expertise in physiotherapy skills with an emphasis on evidence based manual / manipulative therapy, re-education of movement and communication with patients 7. formulate strategies of critical evaluation of practice interventions.
Biomechanics & Neuromusculoskeletal Tissues in Health, Disease Sport & Performance
At the end of this course students should be able to: 1. Categorise the structure and function of healthy, aged, diseased and injured human bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, nerves, joints, limbs and body segments 2. Discern between the quantitative and qualitative methods most appropriate to given diagnostic or research data collection situations in anatomy and biomechanics 3. Interpret and evaluate biomechanical data and results accurately 4. Extract robust evidence from the literature in the field linking dynamic and static tissue loading to injury and recovery 5. Identify and critique the biomechanical and anatomical factors that lead to successful preventative and therapeutic approaches used in clinical practice
Muscle and Exercise Physiology
At the end of this course students should be able to: 1. analyse and assess how whole muscles work as biological machines in the context of their structure. 2. evaluate the different types of skeletal muscle fibres in terms of molecular composition and contractile properties. 3. evaluate the basic mechanisms underlying muscle contraction 4. appraise the different methods of measuring muscle function. 5. evaluate the physiological responses and adaptations of muscle to exercise and training. 6. evaluate the mechanisms by which a muscle might fatigue and adapt to changes in usage 7. evaluate how muscle interacts with the cardiovascular and respiratory systems during whole body exercise. 8. appraise the key studies that have contributed to this knowledge.
Neuroscience, Pain and Rehabilitation
At the end of this course students should be able to: 1. Be aware of and appraise the current theories of the anatomical, physiological and psychological basis of pain and its relief. 2. Compare how variables such as stress, anxiety, fear, and fatigue contribute to the processing and response to pain and how this understanding may affect the management of pain. 3. Recognise and reflect on the changing nature of knowledge and underlying pain mechanisms and the importance of ongoing pain education. 4. Reflect on knowledge and relevant evidence in relation to individual and group clinical expertise and client perspectives in the planning and implementation of service planning, delivery and evaluation. 5. Understand how the central nervous system plans, organises and controls movement and assess how pain affects the control of movement.
Research Project in Advanced Physiotherapy (Sport & Performance)
At end of the project, students will be able to: 1. perform research activity independently 2. formulate hypotheses and / or research questions in relation to Sport & Performance 3. define good research design and plan investigations 4. generate and analyse data 5. perform literature searches, analysis and interpretation 6. prepare and present new data for oral and written presentation. 7. apply principles and practice of statistical analysis 8. write detailed research reports 9. propose further investigations as a logical extension to the project.
